Liz Frame and the Kickers Perform Benefit for the NEF

Benefit concert sounds a note for music education in Port’s schools

As a musician, Newburyport’s Liz Frame says she knows how fun it is to play music. But she also knows how important it is for kids to be exposed to it.

So, on Saturday, she’ll take the stage at Newburyport’s Firehouse Center for the Arts to headline Newburyport Education Foundation’s fall fundraiser, Music Matters.

In addition to Frame and her band, the concert will feature her friends The Dearhearts, a sister singing act from Maryland who are known for their Appalachian-tinged songs; local singer-songwriter Lynne Taylor, who plays bass in the Kickers; as well as special appearances by Amesbury’s Bill Plante of the Bill Plante Trio on piano and Newburyport’s Ben Zanfagna of Doc Zig and Benny Z on saxophone and slide guitar.

In tough economic times when schools are needing to cut their budgets, arts programs are one of the first things to go, Frame says. All proceeds from the concert will go toward the education foundation’s efforts to fund a new music lab at the Rupert A. Nock Middle School in Newburyport.

“I fear that we are depriving our kids of something they need to explore,” she says. “It’s really empowering for young people to pick up an instrument and start expressing themselves through music.”

This is the second time Frame has lent her talents to a Newburyport Education Foundation fundraiser. Two years ago, her band opened for the Boston roots band The Mystix as part of a similar benefit show.

Frame, who is also the owner of Fancy Schmancy shop in downtown Newburyport, has been writing and performing her own brand of rootsy music ever since she was a teenager. She was an active member of the country music/rockabilly scene in Boston during the 1980s and 1990s, fronting her own band.

Today, she’s back performing live around the North Shore with a group of friends making up her band. They perform traditional country, soulful blues and rockabilly beats.

The mission of the Newburyport Education Foundation is to improve the quality of public education by supplementing funding for public programs. Frame says she’ll continue doing her part to promote and encourage musical growth in kids.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Frame says of Saturday’s concert. “It’s going to be a fun night all around.”

How: Tickets $20. For tickets, call 978-462-7336 or visit www.firehouse.org. For more on the Newburyport Education Foundation, visit www.NewburyportEF.org.

Show your love

The Tannery Marketplace on Water Street in Newburyport is working to help the Newburyport Education Foundation raise funds for the Newburyport schools.

Looking to capture the viral power of social media, the “Fall in Love with the Tannery Marketplace” fundraiser is asking contestants to upload a photo containing an image of what they “love” about The Tannery. Each photo sent in earns the Newburyport Education Foundation a $2 donation. The contestant who uploads the photo is also automatically entered to win one of three prizes: $100, $50 or $25 in Tannery Bucks.

The shop proprietors are also offering weekly “loves” to further entice contestants. Those visiting The Tannery Marketplace need only ask “What’s the Love of the Week?” to receive access to the special offers and a bonus Tannery Buck just for inquiring.

The goal of the Newburyport Education Foundation is to bring philanthropy into the Newburyport Public Schools and generate financial resources that will enhance the quality of public education.